Traditional German Christmas Stollen
Ingredients:
- 1/2 cup dark raisins
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 1/4 cup candied orange peel
- 1/4 cup candied lemon peel
- 2 oz dark rum
- 1 envelope dry yeast
- 1/2 cup Prairie Farms Vitamin D Milk
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 cups all-purpose flour
- 1 egg
- 1 tsp vanilla extract
- 2 Tbsp zest from 1 lemon
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/4 tsp ground cardamom
- 1 cup Prairie Farms butter
- 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/3 cup chopped almonds
- 1/2 cup Prairie Farms butter melted
- 1/2 cup powdered sugar
Directions:
- DAY BEFORE BAKING: In a bowl, add raisins, candied fruit, almonds and rum. Cover place in refrigerator and let sit overnight.
- Warm milk, then add yeast packet and a pinch of sugar. In about 10 minutes, it will bubble.
- Mix flour, egg, yeast mixture, sugar, vanilla extract, lemon zest and salt in a stand mixer using the dough hook for several minutes. Dough should just come together and not be very smooth yet. Remove from bowl and set aside.
- Cream butter and 2/3 cup flour with the nutmeg and cardamom. Add dough back to the bowl and work the dough with a dough hook until the butter and flour mixture is smooth. Cover and let dough rest for 30 minutes.
- Turn dough out onto lightly floured surface. Knead in fruit/almond mixture. Let rest 15 minutes.
- Form dough into a rectangle, then fold the left side over the middle, then the right side over the top, to create a "loaf"shape.
- Place dough inside in a long bread or stollen pan. Let dough rise for 30 minutes in a warm location.
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Brush melted butter across top of loaf. Bake for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown. Remove from oven, brushing again with butter, then dusting with a heavy coating of powdered sugar. Let cool completely.
- Stollen only gets better over time when stored properly. Wrapped tightly in plastic, you can enjoy it throughout the holiday season.